This is the way to enjoy snow days.

Murray has claimed the hearth.  And that's okay.  The other two are scared of the fire.

Stella/Molly used to scratch the carpet until we got her this corrugated cardboard scratching thing.  Even then, she didn't show much interest until we filled it with catnip.  And now it is her throne.  If she's inside, she's on top of it or has her paws touching it.

Darby is just content to be inside but a safe distance from the cats.  They are getting along much better than I expected.  They chase things together and eat together and have actually done a little nose-sniffing and head-butting this morning.

One thing that puzzles me about the pictures above is how these 3 little animals can move a heavy rug like they do.  I have to strain to pick it up, but they can run across it, and somehow it ends up crooked.

A pretty picture of Samford Hall in the snow.

We got another video last night that made us laugh.

I'm willing myself to sew today.  I have a new project coming up for someone who is going to be celebrating his 4th birthday in a couple of weeks.  I have 3 things to finish, and I'm trying to psych myself up to do those right now once I find a good on-line movie to watch since all three involve hand sewing.

Leon Causes Chaos

But not around here.  It was just another day - maybe a little tricky when Mike went to get the mail and didn't realize the walk was already slippery.

Here's my obligatory snow picture, taken from the warmth of the house.  We had a lot of freezing rain, sleet, and some snow but nothing to make things pretty in our neighborhood.

I knew I would find a bunch on Facebook, and I knew this guy would be beside himself if it snowed today.  Tyler has been praying since before Christmas for snow and finally got his prayers answered.

Lydia yesterday was wishing for a replay of the fun they had in 2010.

And got a milder version (so far - this is near Atlanta).  Her baby is just too big to hold now.

Sammy and Sawyer surveying the scene in their yard in Columbus.

Nate and his mom in Mississippi.

Kolt in North Alabama

I know I'll see some more pictures in the morning when people get their fingers thawed.

Andalusia didn't get snow but a bunch of ice.  These sweet boys were hopeful this morning.

A lack of actual snow didn't keep them from having fun though.  The picture below is really a video, but I couldn't get it to download as one.  A mere picture doesn't do it justice!

So much fun and laughter today.  

But also a lot of horrible situations.

These pictures will make you glad NOT to be in Atlanta today.  I'm pretty glad not to be there any day.

Graysen has had her day in the snow a couple of weeks ago - and was not impressed.  

She's keeping busy with a little water patting.

And veggie chasing.

I'm ready for spring.

Snow or No?

The little hints given out by the weather forecasters in the past few days seem to be coming true.  That blue area on the weather map cuts right across Montgomery and says 1-3" of snow - or we may fall into the 3-5" section.

I went into Publix not just for milk and bread, although I did get those, but because there was nothing to eat otherwise.  I ended up eating an almond butter and marionberry jam sandwich last night - and it was delicious.  I do want some more of that jam.  It was in a tiny jar we bought on our first trip to Pike Place Market.  We brought back a lot of jars of various flavors for gifts and had that one left.

I was looking for a link for Pike Place or a picture of the jams area and found the nicest blog entry about it.  She did it justice with all the photos, and the jam booths are pictured there too. 

 I think Mike did try that hot ghost pepper jelly - may have even bought some. 

So, marionberry.  I can't say I had ever heard of it before buying those little jars.  Here's what Wikipedia has to say about it.  Seems it's grown in the NW - or the Himalayas.  I bet I could order some. I saw the "We Ship" sign above.  Or maybe Ryan and Emily could plant and grow some.   It tastes kind of grapey but with little seeds, and it went really well with the crunchy almond butter last night.

I'm still waiting on pictures of the 3 babies in their hats I made, but here are a few of the shirt and the hat together.

Here, Graysen has her "reaallly??" look on.  Mila and Owen seem to still have theirs on!

First taste of pizza.

Emily did a great job with all the extra ribbons to make the restaurant look a little more festive.

And we have a walker - or runner.  

Birthday Sewing Finished

And in the mail.

After all our discussions and decisions, I tried those hats, and they turned out very nice, I believe.  I'm just messy with glue, so they don't bear looking too closely, but I think they'll do for the few seconds the babies will allow them to be worn.

I left the top ribbons - little explosions - long so the moms can trim them to taste.  I tried to put a plain ribbon around the bottom of Owen's, but it was impossible to make it neat, so I pleated it.  Maybe it won't be too girly.

This is Graysen's set.  I would have made the twins some bibs, but I only had 2 and messed up one of them, so I had to give up that idea.

The shirt Emily wanted to be fairly plain, and it is.  She might add a bow to the top of the one if she wants to.

I wanted to make the bib white, but I had the bright idea of ironing down the patch before I did the satin stitch to keep it from bubbling, forgetting that it would be stuck pretty well and impossible to trim.  One of those things you wish you could immediately take back.  I trimmed as well as I could, and rather than throw it away (it IS a bib, after all), I did a G in the middle of the patch and think it turned out really well.  Kind of a raggy look!

I like both of them.

It will be fun to see the pictures of the party Friday night.  I was sad all week because I thought the Wallaces were moving and taking Graysen's best friends, but they've changed their minds and are staying.  So we can look forward to a lot of adventures from these 3.

I have The Weather Channel on and am hearing a lot of snow talk.  It won't affect us, but it sure does make me glad I'm snug inside today.  In fact, we're having a beautiful sunny day.

Wallpaper stripping is on the final phase, and now I'll have to start picking out colors.  For such a small room, it sure did make a mess.

Emily sent me a group of pictures yesterday that just melted my heart.  We couldn't stop smiling while we looked at them.  A couple are on FB, but here is the whole set.

And more stair adventures.  I'm glad she is hesitant about heading down those stairs!

Party Time

Graysen's birthday celebrating starts next Friday with a joint party with best friends Mila and Owen who are 2 weeks older than she is.

I thought I had more pictures of them, but I guess they were all videos, and I'm still wondering how to get those off my phone.  This is one I froze from a video.  Five adults trying to get 3 babies to pose in a basket.  The expressions on Mila's and Graysen's face say it all -- SERIOUSLY?!  Owen things it's a great idea.

Emily and I conspired  together on the phone last night to plan a few things for this party as well as another one on her real birthday.  I spent the morning and part of the afternoon chasing after just the right fabrics and ribbons and things to make all 3 of them party hats.  What seemed like a simple matter was harder than I thought, but these are the things I brought home.

Fabric from Beth's Heirlooms in Wetumpka.  So many pretty things there.

Ribbons from Hobby Lobby (50% off).  Pleated ribbon from Beth's.

And this fox ribbon for no reason.  With kitty paw in the background.

Everything else.  I wanted to find just a simple party hat to use as a template, but as huge as Hobby Lobby's party section is, I could only find a pack of 21.   At least they're kind of fun colors.

I spent a little time merging some designs in Embird for the embroidery machine and got this one ready for approval.  Not glued yet but done enough to see how they're going to look.

I'll finish this one and do 2 more tomorrow and then do the bib and shirt in the same fabrics.

Emily showed she was definitely my daughter when she emailed me in the middle of all this planning and said she was just going to take a break and re-teach herself to knit and make a bathcloth.  And she did and is teaching her friend Stephanie to make them today.  I love how much fun they have and what good friends Stephanie and Brian have been.  Can't wait to see the results of their afternoon's work.

Suspicious activity on Pinterest

I got an email today saying there had been "suspicious activity" spotted on my Pinterest board. Whoa! That sounds serious. What could that suspicious person be doing? Stealing the same pins I have stolen from others. Rearranging my boards and mixing up my Gardening pins with my Things to Make pins? I can't imagine. Maybe that someone is renaming all my boards or peeking to see if I prefer knitting or crocheting. Well, I changed my password, so that will teach suspicious people to stay away from my lovely pins.

I do love Pinterest though. I ignore it for months, but then every once in awhile I will go back and look at things I liked or wanted to do (and see if I followed through - and usually not). It's a good place to park my whims. If I'm interested in felt Christmas ornaments today, I will probably lose interest by next week, but if I ever do want to remember where I saw that cute blue reindeer, I'll know where to go.

 Just now while looking at my Things to Do board, I realized I had pinned a rice heat/cold pack that I must have thought I would one day make.

 But now I won't have to because this was a Christmas present from my two of my favorite little boys, Tyler and Bronner (made by their mother).  I couldn't have picked a prettier fabric!  War Eagle.

 Yesterday was spent at the doctor's office with Mama and watching this week's "Downton Abbey" with Mike. It doesn't seem like that could take your whole day, but it pretty much did.

Sometimes we get nice interruptions from Guatemala.  This is a video of Lauren and Allyn "bouncing like crazy in their chairs."  This is something called What's App on Mike's phone, a way to text and send photos internationally.

These things are like magic to me.  We can Skype and have dinner with Graysen or watch her play.  She has no idea who we are yet, but I think we are a nice distraction for her and allows her to smile and reach for Mom's phone.  

 Yesterday, I took my yarn and knitting needles to make another "Doctor's Office Dishrag," but Mama had to fill out a new information sheet, and that involved my writing for her while she juggled pill bottles and insurance cards, etc., during which my ball of yarn got dropped and tangled. I had also left my instructions at home, and even though I've made dozens of these, I always forget how to start off. So I called Mike to read me the first 2 lines. "Cast on 4. Knit the first row. Row 2: Knit 2, YO, knit to the end of the row, increasing one stitch on each row up to 45 stitches." After that, I'm good to go. I got a few rows done in the back waiting room, but again there was juggling of pills bottle, walker, jacket, purse, etc.

 While she had her blood work done, I tried untangling the mess, but somehow I got the yarn wound around the handle of Mama's walker while I was admiring someone's Auburn slippers and finding out she hated cats. I was in a panic because I knew Mama would not be good with rolling along dragging a skein of yarn behind her, but it all worked out before we left.

I still have some untangling to do.  I have done a little knitting this week though.  Emily said Graysen needed some more bathcloths, so I'm working on her a couple.

This one is a birthday cupcake, in case the design is not clear.

The Sugar and Cream cotton yarn just doesn't make as soft a cloth as the Hobby Lobby brand - Love this Cotton, I think.  It does fine for dishrags that get used and abused and washed hundreds of times.  This one has a Snoopy design on it and is much softer.

I started sewing the sequins and beads on the Christmas ornaments.  It's slow going but perfectly fine when you have the computer set up with one of those Amazon Prime movies. 

I may or may not have made these jerseys!  I have been doing sewing for Stitchworks, making the blank jerseys, and Jen dyes them and add the lettering and stripes.  For my last sewing, I asked her to make Graysen 4 jerseys in lieu of pay.

They turned out so sweet, just in time for a birthday gift.  One Washington Huskies, one UNC, and 2 Auburn.

So almost another week gone.  The weather has been cold but sunny the past few days.

I haven't had a new picture from Washington lately, so I'll post some sweet snow pictures.

This was Graysen's first real snow except for some flurries.

 I'm not sure if it was the cold, the 6 layers or clothes, or being put down, but things are not going well.

The world looks better from Mom's arms.

 And best friends Mila and Owen to discuss things with.  Sweet babies.